A business consultant from Tallahassee, Florida recently went viral on TikTok for a “millennial rant” she sent to a reporter who had asked for her opinion on “what perks millennials want in the workplace.”
Jessie DaSilva‘s video of her reading her reply to the reporter has been viewed over 500,000 times.
She says:
“The biggest mistake I see is companies assuming millennials want perks, nap pods, snack rooms, free avocado toast, or whatever else. Those things might seem cool on a company website, but they will never make up for a thrive-able wage, good benefits, vacation time, and the ability to learn and grow with a company.”
“Millennials are currently in their 30s-40s, which means these are experienced workers likely at the point in their careers where they’re looking for stimulating management jobs that also leave adequate time to spend with a growing family, friends, pets, or aging parents. These are not entry-level applicants. As a generation, millennials tend to be highly qualified.”
So what DO millennials want?
-Pay them well above minimum wage, with at least a 5% raise every year to accommodate for the increased cost of living
-Benefits that cover mental health and infertility treatment
-A minimum of 4 weeks paid vacation time (legally mandated minimum in most developed nations)
-Sick leave that includes openness and the need for mental health days
-Paid parental leave that reflects a home where both parents work full-time and don’t receive any homemaking support
-Opportunities to hone existing skills, learn new skills, receive certifications, mentorship, etc. all done on company time as opposed to paid leave
She concludes, “A nap pod costs between $8,000 to $12,000, which would go much further on a salary retaining a talented millennial than giving them an afternoon nap.”
BuzzFeed spoke to Jessie who explained how furious she felt because of the email from the reporter:
“I think I legit saw red for a second when I read the request. Like many millennials, I can’t stand articles that paint my generation as entitled and sensitive when every single person I know is worked to the bone and grossly underpaid.”
She went on:
“By the way it was worded, I could tell this was gearing up to be another one of those out-of-touch pieces about entitled millennial workers with hollow advice around how to create a tempting company culture without spending any real money on workers’ salaries.”
“It makes for a good, clickbait-y headline to talk about gimmicky perks to attract top millennial talent that will allow companies to compete with dreamland corporate cultures at places like Google and Apple. However, publishers, editors, and reporters seem to forget that the only reason young employees love the nap pods, casual attire, company-wide parties, and all the rest, is because they’re already making a premium salary.”
“I believe ‘lazy’ came from millennials having an attitude that they don’t want to wait until retirement to enjoy life. They want balance. They want to spend time with their kids. They want to travel. They want to work with the least amount of stress and mental illness as possible,” she said to BuzzFeed.
Hell yes, girl.